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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — humankind
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mate — a partner
  6. race — a contest
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — the arms race
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com